The camera is not my friend...

If you find the solution, let me know. I'm the same way.

Everyone thinks they look better than in the mirror than when they actually look at candid pictures of themselves.

People tell me how I look “even better” in person.

I think I look awful in pics.

I have a friend who looks like nothing in reality, but really good in pics.

I’m sure celebs & selfie whores will agree that good lighting is everything.

Taking a good picture is all about knowing your poses, angles and how to find your light.

I can look adorably attractive in mirrors, in selfies, in the background of photos of other people. Take a photo of me as the subject or film me, though, and generally-speaking it’s another story - I unfortunately appear jowly, slack-jawed, rough, pasty unbearably plain and lumpen in so many pictures including my graduation photo.

There’s one lovely exception, though; a dear friend of mine in HS took a picture of me where we sat next to each other at a table at our Prom. In this image I look very angelic, glowing and youthful and beautiful almost like a Renaissance cherub. I didn’t know I could look that classically pretty until seeing that photo. That makes me wonder if the eye of the beholder has quite a bit to do with how we look in stills.

I don’t like having photos taken of me, either. I think I agree with Native Americans that photos take a little bit of our soul..

[quote]Babies smile at me.

That’s only because they’re shitting in their diaper.

People's problem is that they lie to themselves and friends like, but the camera never lies.

LOL! I was wondering when the first snarky comment would appear.

You deserve a blue ribbon (that's been steeping in a baby's diaper). Congratulations, R7!

some people are photogenic and some people aren't, nothing you can do about it.

While watching Met Gala red carpet coverage coverage, I learned that the Olsen Twins say the word "prune" while being photographed since it supposedly forces your lips into the perfect position to achieve great photos of your face.

.

they look like whores

I'm in my 40s but look very young for my age. I know that always causes an eye roll here, but it's true for some people, and it's true for me. However, in my pics I look every year, maybe even more! My head is larger than average, not weirdly so, but in pics it can look HUGE. And my hair has receded some -- not a lot, you might not tell if I was careful with my hair in the morning -- yet in pics it looks like I have a few bits of hair left as I rapidly become Mr. Clean.

This video does a good job of explaining it. I first saw it because someone posted a link here on DL.

R13 = Michael Kay

R13, the camera doesn’t lie. What you’re seeing in your mind versus what others see is very telling.

But seriously, I think we’re all just a little too harsh on ourselves when forced to look at a quick moment in time that a picture represents. Angles, lighting, smiling too broadly, not smiling enough, etc., etc.

Fuck You everybody!

I have a fairly noticeable double chin in nearly every candid photo of me, no matter how thin I am. It drives me crazy. Can anyone give tips on how to stop the chin pudge in photos?

[quote]Can anyone give tips on how to stop the chin pudge in photos?

Close the door to the public and stay home.

"Why don't I look as hot as I imagine I look?"

R16, the camera does lie, especially when you consider things like retouching, flattering angles, etc.

R18: The camera angle should be above your face. You should slightly extend your chin forward and never tuck it in. Leaning your body forward helps with this. Also, avoid any lighting below you. Light flatters when it’s coming from above.

I look fine in video mostly. HORRIBLE in pictures. Hot and handsome in real life. The lead girl from Magic Mike is like this. I saw her in the movie and thought she was ugly plain and nothing. Saw her at an audition once and oh my gosh. She is really pretty. It's crazy how it works for some people. And then the reverse where someone busted as fuck in real life comes across goodlooking in photos.

[quote] The camera angle should be above your face.

Preferably, from a passing plane.

The camera most certainly does lie. I've always been considered very good looking, when I was young I was asked to model, but my mother was vehemently against it. I don't think that would have worked, because I don't look good in photos, and others have said that I look better in life than in photos, so it's not my imagination.

I had a friend when I was a teenager who was ugly. No chin, small hump on her nose, plain eyes, pale as he'll ginger. She had beautiful hair though. In photos she was gorgeous. You wouldn't believe it was the same person.

For the double-chin syndrome (it's real!), as someone said above, thrust out your lower jaw slightly. Not so much that you have a "Sling Blade" under bite, but it does help. Also, keep your shoulders down like a ballet dancer, and tilt your head slightly to the side.

Or just do what I do, which is refuse to ever have my picture taken at all. Getting checked out in public is my validation; pictures just prompt me to take a magnifying glass to underscore absolutely everything I perceive as a flaw. I also can't look at pics of myself from ten, eleven years ago, when I was effortlessly photogenic and took my youth for granted. MARY!, I know I know.

[quote]HORRIBLE in pictures. Hot and handsome in real life.

The funny thing to me is that I never thought I looked good in pics.

But I look back at photos when I was in my 20s/30s and I look very handsome.

I guess many of us are just insecure about our looks and find fault where there really isn't any.

Of course, now that I'm almost 50, there really is fault.

R27 Haha. It's true! I'm a big beefy muscular latino with green eyes. No cavities. White teeth. Full pink lips. Still young. No wrinkles or bags. no blemishes. But in pictures for some reason my neck disappears and I look 400 pounds. People after taking pics we look I'm always disgusted and confused and people don't get it either. They notice it too. It's weird.

I am 87 but told I look 14.

Analyzing faces

When I meet my grindr hook ups they alarmist always say I look way better in person. I never know whether to be offended or flattered.

I have a friend who is decidedly average in person, but takes excellent photos, even models sometimes.

For some reason my nose looks bigger in pictures....on the other hand, pictures make my skin look better. I have acne scars that are noticeable when I look in the mirror, but in pictures my skin looks smooth. Weird.

I think I have a magic mirror at home.

Lighting and no dirty mirror bathroom pics. Go outside.

People with less animated faces photograph better. Expressions that are flattering when in motion don't work a still photograph.

I havent taken very many good photos since I was a kid. Every once in a while there will be a fantastic one. I have people that have only seen my photos do a complete double take when they see me in person and I am much much better looking in person. Now in older years I run the other way whenever there is a camera........... as age just makes it worse.

I suspect some good looking people just dont photograph well. I have read comments from professional photographers to that effect. That is also why way back in old hollywood, no matter how beautiful the young hopeful looked in person, she had to submit to camera and photography shoots to be viewed by the studios to see if she was film screen material in the looks dept. I think some of it has to do with your flesh tones etc and if your skin looks attractive and like real human flesh in the photos or on camera.

Sizemeat (8 long and 6 around on the tape measure) always photographs well!

Everyone has good features and bad. Then there are good camera angles and bad. Sometimes you get it just right and it thus becomes your main profile pic. What I find astonishing is bottoms who can take a dozen ass and hole pics and there is no hint at what kind of body (legs, abs, chest, arms) they have. Talk about editing.

I'm the opposite as OP. I photograph very well, especially from certain angles, and yet I don't think I'm handsome in real life. I have some good features (big eyes, generally good face shape) but I have a long, rather pointy nose and my head is elongated back to front. Even though I'm one thousand years old in gay years and have silver hair, I can still photograph pretty well. But in person, you'd quickly look away or recoil......LOL

(Oh well, I worked up my good features when young and had a good run.....hehe)

R36 YES!